Two Scents Worth

T'Pol had a problem. She had been drawn to Trip's scent for a long time. It all started after her false Pon Farr; she'd been confused, uncertain who to mate with, stunned by Malcolm, and allowed to sleep it off in sickbay. Afterwards she became aware that Trip's scent was more pronounced to her. She had always been aware that his scent was different than the other males on board: not offensive, but only a slight awareness.

Then they'd spent the night in the monastery. She had never told Trip about that or anyone else. They had lain close together and she had breathed in his marvelous scent, the overwhelming scent. After that, she was very aware of him and the scent.

Then there was the night she had seduced him. She had not used a nasal Inhibitor before the NP session that time. It helped her. She had meditated in the early part of the evening and decided the only way to combat Corporal Cole was to mate with him, binding him to her forever. Her disappointment at his failure to return to her quarters after the crisis with the alien was over hurt her, and she rejected him the next morning. When she found out he had not been able to return, it was too late and the damage had been done. Other events had happened: she had been married and divorced; he had transferred to Columbia and now he was back.

He had told her, "We have a lot of work to do." That had confused her.

Then two days ago, she had walked into the workout room late at night and there he was, alone.

"It is late, Commander."

"Just working off a little energy," Trip replied. Why are you here?"

The maleness of him. His scent. It was back in full force. She knew she had to leave immediately. The memory of watching a female sehlat that ready to breed popped into her mind. The female had been kept away from the male and then finally put into a cage with him. Usually the two sehlats would circle each other and yowl for a day or two, but this time the female had rushed over and crawled under the male, presenting. That is how she felt now. She wanted to lie down on a mat and pull Trip over her.

"I forgot that I have an experiment I must check on," she said then hurried out of the door and back to her quarters.

She had been thinking of his scent when she almost sat upright. What about her scent? Was he aware of it? Did it affect him? Did she have one? She bathed daily with an odorless soap and had her laundry thoroughly rinsed to eliminate any detergent from it. She knew that any scent would be hers and from no other source. How to find out? She couldn't ask Lt Reed or certainly not the captain. Perhaps Ensign Sato? NO, she might believe that T'Pol was making advances toward her.

Then she remembered that there was a crewman in the enlisted quarters that the others called "Pigpen." He had been dragged into a shower, scrubbed with a stiff brush two or three times until he agreed to bathe daily. There had been a Pigpen watch set up to make sure he had his daily bath. She would ask Commander Tucker about it and then slowly broach the subject of scents...then female scents...and finally Vulcan female scents. It would have to be done carefully.

The next morning T'Pol drew a cup of tea and sat down with Commander Tucker.

"Good morning."

"Morning yourself. How are you today?"

"I am fine. It has come to my attention that there is a problem involving a crewman in the enlisted quarters. A person the other enlisted personnel call Pigpen.

"Oh yeah, I guess he got pretty ripe before the guys fixed him."

"Then the matter has been taken care of?"

"Guess so. I haven't heard any more about it."

"I am curious, are all Human males aware of other males scent?"

"No, only if they get the way that guy did. Usually they pretty much ignore anything and put it down to work or some kind of labor. They know the guy will shower soon enough and not offend. Course a guy will also wear an aftershave."

"Oh, what about females? Are they aware of one another's scent?"

"Yeah, but only if the other one has got a better perfume."

"Does that go for a male too? I mean being aware of a female's scent?"

"Naw, guys are pretty visual. They look at a woman's attractiveness, especially her figure. Some are more aware of certain parts of a woman than other parts."

"T'Pol was certain she knew what he meant. Lt Reed was constantly looking at her posterior when he thought that neither she nor Hoshi was watching him.

Once - although she could not imagine why she did it - in a bit of wickedness, she had deliberately dropped something and leaned over to pick it up. She had pretended to look for the object for almost a minute. Then she straightened up and walked to her post and sat down. While walking, she had clenched each buttock slightly when she walked. When she turned Reed was crimson in the face and he looked stunned. Hoshi was glaring at him.

"You can put your eyes back in your head," she had snapped at him.

Captain Archer also looked at her occasionally with desire in his eyes.

But Trip, he looked at her differently. Oh, he swept her body with his eyes, but he also seemed to be looking through her, trying to pierce the armor she put up to see the T'Pol inside.

"Then Human males are not aware of a human females scent?"

"Oh yes. Women shower with scented soap, then use a perfume or cologne afterwards. Some do it right. They know just the perfect scent for them and use it lightly. Just a bit to accent their own scent. Others get the stuff cat houses buy by the gallon and slather it on. They can clear a room in seconds. It can rock a guy back on his heels."

"Oh, well Vulcan males use their minds instead of a scent to attract a female. I am not sure if Vulcan women have a scent."

"I don't know about Vulcan males or other Vulcan females but I do know one who has a scent."

"You do?"

"You know damned well who I am talking about."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do. YOU."

T'Pol dropped her eyes and looked into her cup of tea. Hoshi had told her she should do that to give herself time to think.

"I have a scent that you are aware of?"

"Damned right. Remember that time in the lift when we were crowded in and I was standing behind you?"

T'Pol did. He had dipped his head and had his face very near her neck for a while. It had sent shivers through her.

"I vaguely recall that. Did my scent offend you?"

"No, I wasn't sure if my legs would hold me up. I thought I had died and gone to heaven."

"This did not displease you? I do not have any other scent about me. Just my natural one."

"I wanted to spend the rest of the day that way. I have never smelled a woman like you."

T'Pol felt a surge of pleasure at hearing this.

"I am happy that I did not offend then."

No, no, not in the least. You could bottle it and make a fortune."

"Thank you."

"What about me? Do I smell bad?"

"You? I am aware of your scent."

"That all?"

"Should there be more?"

"Dunno, maybe I am not as bad as some others on board, since we often have coffee together and our neuropressure sessions."

"You are not offensive to me anymore."

"Means I once was? Like the first time you came aboard?"

"Perhaps."

"T'Pol, someday I am going to get a straight answer out of you."

"What answer do you require?"

"That I don't stink, that I might smell better than anyone else on board, that you might even be willing to be around me more often because you can stand my odor."

She looked into the blue eyes she loved.

"I care for your scent."

"Do I go along with the scent in that caring?"

"If our work is done."

"Work?"

"You said we have a lot of work to do."

"Let's say we should complete the work together."

"Agreed."

Trip stood up. "Come on," he said

"Where are we going?"

"You will see."

They entered the lift. Trip pushed a button and the lift carried them to Deck E. They walked out of the lift, down the hall and stopped in front of Trip's quarters. He keyed in the opening sequence. When the door opened, he motioned T'Pol inside and followed her. They walked through the small outer room into the bedroom.

"We should do some scent testing here," said Trip

"Tests?"

"Yup. It will probably take some time. Just to make sure."

"We cannot be too careful then."

Trip pulled T'Pol to him and bent his head to kiss her. She met his kiss with her own.

"Ready to start testing?"

"If you are. How do we begin?"

"Well, first we have to get undressed. Don't want our clothes getting in the way of the scent."

"Reasonable."

They undressed one another and stood naked. T'Pol felt herself lifted and carried to his bunk. As he lowered her onto it, she pulled the covers back. He laid her on the bunk and got in beside her.

"Now, let's see what our scent is."

Trip put his nose in the nape of her neck and inhaled.

"What is my scent like to you?" T'Pol asked.

"Spice, a desert flower I once smelled, a touch of copper, and a lovely female. Your turn."

T'Pol put her nose in Trip's neck.

"An engine room, strength, a male, a unique male like no other. My male."

"That all?"

"There is a combination of scents. But they all make you."

"I guess we should find out how we smell after a little lovemaking."

"That would be most pleasurable."

Finis

"Sugar and spice
and everything nice,
that is what little girls are made of."

"Snakes and snails and puppy dogs tails
that is what little boys are made of."